Holdsclaw’s Dazzling Play Leads Tennessee Over Notre Dame

Defending national champion Tennessee did one thing right Friday night: It got Chamique Holdsclaw the ball and got out of her way.

The All-American forward dazzled Notre Dame’s defenders and shredded its zone defense for 31 points and an 80-66 victory in a Final Four semifinal. The Vols will play Old Dominion (34-1) in the title game Sunday night.

For more than half the game, it looked like Tennessee (28-10) was in danger of losing a chance for another title. The Vols hit everything but net, clanged free throws and looked generally disorganized.

Up stepped Holdsclaw, a slashing forward, who can dribble behind her back, hit turnaround jumpers and post up. Notre Dame (31-7) saw it all and stopped virtually none of it.

“She’s the best player in the nation,” Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. “She can do it all. In situations like this, great players step up.”

“She seemed to do whatever she wanted - at will,” said Notre Dame guard Beth Morgan, who learned firsthand about her defensive skills. “When we’d make a stop on her, she’d find somebody else.”

Usually, she didn’t have to. Holdsclaw went 13 for 25 from the floor, hitting clutch shots while the rest of her teammates combined for 17 field goals. She had five rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots.

Asked where Tennessee would be without Holdsclaw, teammate Abby Conklin said, “Spring break.”

“I played relaxed, I ran the floor. I think it was the best I’ve had all year,” Holdsclaw said. “I was excited. I didn’t want to have a letdown on my end and I just gave it all I had.”

Holdsclaw scored 13 of the Vols’ 23 points during a 10-minute stretch of the second half, when Tennessee pushed a slim lead to eight. She then made the highlight films and ended Notre Dame’s hopes by taking a pass, dribbling behind her back and pulling up for a 15-footer that made it 64-52 with 6 minutes left.

She scored 19 in the second half.

“Not anything new,” coach Pat Summitt said. “She can take over the game. She wanted to win, she wanted the ball.”

It’ll be Tennessee’s seventh title-game appearance. The Vols have won four national titles the last 10 years.

The outcome was no surprise. Tennessee had everything in its favor: much more depth and much more experience at this type of thing. The Vols have been in 10 of the last 16 Final Fours; the Irish had never before come this close.

There also was the little matter of the teams’ history together. Tennessee has won all 13 of its games against Notre Dame, only two of them decided by fewer than 10 points.

Injuries have so decimated Notre Dame that the Irish suited up a student trainer during the tournament to have the required eight on the bench. But they got to their first Final Four because two players got hot.

Center Katryna Gaither averaged 20.2 in her four NCAA Tournament games and Morgan scored at a 23.8-point pace. Gaither was on her game Friday, hitting 10 of 15 for 28 points. But Morgan lost her touch, and Notre Dame had no chance.

Tennessee 80, Notre Dame 66

Notre Dame (31-7) - Morgan 6-21 2-4 18, Bohman 2-4 2-2 6, Gaither 10-15 8-8 28, Peirick 3-8 0-0 7, Augustin 1-3 0-0 2, McMillen 1-5 0-0 3, Henderson 1-1 0-0 2, Hutchinson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-57 12-14 66.

Tennessee (28-10) - Holdsclaw 13-25 5-6 31, Conklin 4-5 0-0 11, Thompson 3-4 0-1 6, Elzy 4-10 6-8 14, Jolly 1-10 4-4 6, Butts 1-3 0-0 2, Johnson 3-7 0-2 6, Greene 1-7 0-0 3, Laxton 0-0 0-0 0, Stephens 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 30-71 16-23 80.

Halftime-Leader Tennessee 29, Notre Dame 28. 3-Point goals- Notre Dame Notre Dame 6-16 (Morgan 4-8, Peirick 1-4, McMillen 1-4), Tennessee 4-11 (Conklin 3-4, Greene 1-4, Holdsclaw 0-1, Jolly 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Notre Dame 34 (Gaither 13), Tennessee 43 (Thompson, Elzy 9). Assists-Notre Dame 15 (Peirick, Augustin 4), Tennessee 13 (Jolly 9). Total fouls-Notre Dame 18, Tennessee 17. A-16,714.